The USDA recently released two reports, one analyzing pesticide residue and one analyzing antibiotics in the US food supply. The pesticide report found that “In 2017, over 99 percent of the samples tested had residues well below the tolerances established by the EPA with 53 percent having no detectable pesticide residue”. The study also found… Read more »

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell recently released their 2018 version of their Pesticide Decision Making Guide. The guide provides at-a-glance perspectives on best choices for protecting tree fruit crops while protecting pollinators. This guide and future guides in this series can be found on the Cornell Pollinator Network “Grower Resource Page”

Linked below are two infographics recently distributed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. One contains tips on keeping your home cockroach-free, and the other has information on how to control weeds without herbicides. Click here for the cockroach control infographic: in English in Spanish And the weed management infographic: in English in Spanish

The Southern IPM Center is extending the deadline for nominations for their annual Friends of Southern IPM Award program through December 21. This program recognizes outstanding work in IPM in the southern region. They have two kinds of awards: one for IPM professionals and one for graduate students. Find the Calls for Nomination for these awards, along with cover forms here.

The new Wisconsin Monarch Collaborative (WMC) website, wimonarchs.org, was officially launched to the public as of yesterday, Tuesday, December 4. The WMC is the new centralized voice for monarch conservation in Wisconsin, bringing together agencies, industries, non-profits, and individuals who want to reverse monarch population declines by making Wisconsin a wonderful place for them to live… Read more »

Charlie Kruzansky, associate vice president for government relations at Cornell University, received an Excellence in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Award Nov. 27 in Albany from the New York State IPM Program (NYSIPM). Kruzanski has helped educate North Country legislators about the western bean cutworm, convinced Long Island state senators to adopt IPM practices for athletic… Read more »

As of November 14th, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) entered into a partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to collaborate around issues of healthy soils, clean water, climate stability, yield resilience, habitat for at-risk species and economic viability for farmers. “EDF and NCGA have been working together for many years,” says Suzy Friedman, EDF senior… Read more »

In this issue read about a webinar this week regarding Western IPM Center grants, the newly released and updated National IPM Roadmap, how western cities are vying to host USDA programs and funding news. Find the new issue here.

A study published in the November issue of Science investigated the mechanisms by which neonicotinoids impair bee colony growth. Researchers used an innovative robotic platform for real-time monitoring of worker bumblebee behavior to assess the impacts of field-realistic levels of imidacloprid, a common neonicotinoid. Neonicotinoids disrupted worker behavior in the nests, impairing nursing and caretaking… Read more »

USDA-NIFA is currently inviting online comments about ideas on what the top research, education, and extension priorities should be for NIFA. They have a simple online survey you can fill out in a few minutes to provide your input here.